Refrigerating apparatus



March 17, 1931. F. w. ANDREWS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 51 192'.

Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK W. ANDREWS, OFDAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T

FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATINGAPPARATUS Application filed March 31,

This invention relates to mechanical refrigerating apparatus used tocool circulating liquids, such as drinking water.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved cooler inwhich there is an intimate thermal contact between the cooling agent andthe liquid to be cooled.

Another object is to provide an improved form of cooler which willwithstand high pressures.

It is also among the objects of the inven tion to reduce the cost ofmanufacture and simplify the construction and installation of coolers ofthis type, and to provide a cooler adapted to be used with existingstandard types of evaporators.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a refrigerating apparatusembodying my invention, the structure of the cooler itself being shown.I

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2,

and

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views of a modification, corresponding toFigs. 1 and 2 respectively.

Referring to the drawings, a container or tank 10 of rectangular formhaving a cover 10a is insulated by walls, top and bottom, preferablycomposed of a layer of cork 11 and an outer impervious covering 12, suchas wood or metal. The container may be filled with liquid thru a pipe13. Inside the con.

tainer is an evaporator, shown for example, as a header 14, forming areservoir for liquid refrigerant, and a number of loops of pipe 15communicating with the header.' The loops and header are preferably soproportioned that they enclose nearly all the volume of the tank, asclearly shown in the drawings. The evaporator is supported in the tankby boltin g the flange 16 of the header to the side wall.

59 The evaporator is submerged in a bath of 1927. Serial No. 179,984.

liquid, such as water or brine, the bath being cooled in the well knownmanner by thecvaporation of liquid refrigerant in the evaporator. Liquidrefrigerant is supplied to the header through pipe 19, and caused toevaporate, by any suitable refrigerating apparatus, such as that shown,in which a pump 20, driven by a motor 21 withdraws gaseous refrigerantfrom the evaporator thru a suction pipe 22. The refrigerant iscompressed by the pump and delivered to a condenser 23 where it isliquified and delivered to a receiver 24: and eventually thru pipe 19back' to the evaporator, preferably under the control of a float valve,not shown. The motor is started and stopped in response to refrigeratingdemand by an automatic switch 26.

For the purpose of cooling a supply of water, a water tank 30 is placedin the bath, within the loops of the evaporator, being preferablysupported on legs 31. The cooler is intended to form a high-pressuresource of supply of drinking water, suitable for installation in tallbuildings. The tank 30 is there fore ma'de to'withstand high pressure,being I preferably cylindrical, as this is the most economical shape inwhich to make a highpressure container. The pressure tank is suppliedwith water thru a pipe 32 which may be connected with a high-pressuresource of supply, such as a city water system. Cool water is drawn offas required thru a discharge line 33, which may supply a number ofdrinking fountains or bubblers 34.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a modified form of evaporator, the remainderof the apparatus being the same as previously described. In thisconstruction the header 14 has depending refrigerant conduits 15 whichdo not pass entirely around the tank 30, but each of whichv is disposedwholly on one side of the tank. These conduits are exemplified as hairpin loops of pipe, each loop having both its ends secured to the sameside of the header. This has the advantage of permitting removal orreplacement of an evaporator without disturbing the-tank 30 or itsconnections, and-yet the tank 30 is substantially surrounded by theevaporator, being enclosed on three sides.

For the bath in which the tank and evaporator are immersed, I may usebrine, or other so-called non-freezing solution, but when the device isused to cool drinking water, I prefer a waterbath. Good-cool drinkingWater is at a temperature considerably above freezing, for example, 40F., therefore a :nonfreezing solution is not necessary. Moreover byusing as a bath a liquid freezing at the same temperature as the liquidto be cooled, I avoid any danger of bursting the pressure tank. In casethe control apparatus 26 should fail to stop the compressor, for anyreason, the water in the bath will freeze around the evaporator,v tubes.The -ice formed provides insulation between the evaporator and the watertank, which retards the absorption of heat by the evaporator. Therefore,within limits which will ordinarily be encountered even if the machinekeeps on running, the Water in the tank 30 will not freeze. Consequentlythere is no danger of bursting the tank. On the other hand, if anon-freezin bath were used, the Water in the tank would be quicklyfrozen, should therefrigeratingsystem fail to stop.

The constructions described have the following advantages. Theevaporator and water tank are submerged in a bath, which pro.-'

vides thermalconducting means having intimate contact with theevaporator and water tank. The use of a round high-pressure tank withina rectangular low-pressure tank results in considerable manufacturingeconomy, because a rectangular tank simplifies the problem of insulationand a low-pressure tank which can be left open simplifies the problemsof transportation and installation of the evaporatorin the tank.Furthermore, the cylindrical tank fits neatly Within the evaporatorsshown, which are of standard commercial form and readily obtainable.This obviates any need for special forms of evaporators. It will also benoticed that the refrigerant circulating system and the circulatingsystem for the liquid to be cooled are independent of each other. Thusshoulda leak occur in the evaporator, the liquid will not becontaminated.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the'scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

' l. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a container forliquid, a refrigerant evaporator in the container including a pluralityof conduits for refrigerant, and a high-pressure tank substantiallyenclosed by the evaporator and provided with an inlet and an outlet forcirculating liquid to be cooled.

- 2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a container forliquid, a refrigdrical vertical pressure liquid cooling receptacle witha liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, said receptacle being located withinsaidrefrigerant loops.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

FRANK W. ANDREWS.

